Pink peppercorns

The pink peppercorn tree is native to South America and came to Australia via trading. Its dispersal was via Adelaide from where it was traded through the rivers, before we had rail, and made its biggest impact on outback NSW.

The photo is of a sprig I picked in Pooncarie, another major Darling River port of the past, on our way to Mungo NP. Apart from a tea towel I got today in Gundagai, it's my only souvenir.

These trees grow to about 15 metres, have a beautiful weeping habit like a willow, and give good shade which is why they have been favoured for planting in school yards.

I've been told by people who lived through WW2 that pink peppercorns were used as a substitute for black peppercorns, even though the two species are unrelated. Both the fruit and leaves can be toxic to livestock and sometimes to people. So I won't be eating the ones in the photo which, by the way, are tiny, about the same size as black peppercorns.

Thanks for hosting JDO. Stay well all.